Week Ahead

Here’s what to look out for in the week of Oct. 19: Chinese economic-growth figures, the European Central Bank’s rate announcement, a Canadian election and more.

Investors Await Signs on Chinese Economy

China is scheduled to release its third-quarter gross-domestic-product data on Monday, and expectations are that economic growth slowed further. China’s economy likely expanded 6.8% in the third quarter from a year earlier, according to a median forecast of 13 economists polled by the Journal, down from a reported 7% pace in the first two quarters of the year. Growth-hungry global economies have been concerned about China’s outlook after a stock-market slump and a surprise currency devaluation this summer rattled global markets. Beijing has cut interest rates five times since November, reduced required bank reserves repeatedly and stepped up government spending in a bid to boost growth, so far with limited results.

ECB Weighs Its Next Move

The European Central Bank will announce its latest monetary-policy decision on Thursday. With inflation having recently fallen below zero, the pressure has risen on the eurozone’s rate setters to ramp up their bond-buying program, generally known as quantitative easing. ECB President Mario Draghi said earlier this month that the ECB is willing to adjust the program if inflation strays too far from the central bank’s target of just below 2% over the medium term for too long a period.

Canadian Leader Braces for a Tight Election

Canadians head to the polls on Monday, with Prime Minister Stephen Harper facing an uphill fight in his re-election bid. Mr. Harper won three previous Canadian elections by positioning himself as a sensible financial steward, jettisoning the social conservatism of his party’s right wing to broaden his appeal. But cracks in that support have appeared, exacerbated by economic malaise. Polls suggest Mr. Harper’s Conservative Party and the centrist Liberals are in a tight race for first place, with neither party likely to win an outright majority in the federal Parliament.

Technology Standouts Prep Their Progress Reports

After a week heavy with bank earnings, it’s time to take the temperature of tech’s old guard: Reports are due from International Business Machines on Monday, United Technologies on Tuesday and Microsoft on Thursday—all members of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. A newer tech entrant plans an update, too: Amazon.com announces after the closing bell Thursday.

Housing Figures Will Help Gauge the U.S. Economy

Financial firms provided some clues this past week, but the coming one will offer hard facts on the state of the U.S. housing market. Among data due for release are a housing-market index for October (Monday), then September statistics on new houses under construction and building permits (Tuesday) and existing-home sales (Thursday). Manufacturing information is on the way, too, with an October survey from the Kansas City Fed on Thursday and an October purchasing-managers index from Markit on Friday.